2022 Ford Ranger Undergoes 10,000 Kilometers Of Desert Driving

The 2022 Ford Ranger continues to undergo rigorous testing before its global debut this year. After all, they need to deliver a truly global pick-up that is up for the challenge across 180 markets.

According to Ford, the next-generation Ranger is built from the ground up to be the toughest, smartest, most versatile, and most capable Ranger ever. To achieve this, the truck is being subjected to more physical and virtual testing than ever before.

“Earning a Built Ford Tough status is not something we take lightly,” said John Willems, Ford Ranger Chief Program Engineer. “Every part of the next-generation Ranger was tested to the same standards that we demand of every Ford vehicle.” 

The next-generation 2022 Ford Ranger is being put through its paces across some of the toughest terrains around the world not only to ensure it’s capable and customer ready but to also meet Ford’s stringent world-class quality, reliability, and durability standards.

“It’s important that our customers are able to rely on Ranger to deliver years of dependable service,” said Willems. “So, we’ve gone to great lengths to subject next-gen Ranger to extreme tests – stressing it much more than a typical consumer would – to help ensure it is ready to face everything life throws at it.

“Whether it’s tackling muddy bush tracks, coping with the rigors of extreme tropical weather, towing over alpine passes, or enduring temperatures of more than 50° Celsius, Ranger has to do it all.” 

So far, next-generation Ranger testing has covered around 10,000km of desert driving, the equivalent of 1,250,000km of customer driving, and the equivalent of 625,000km of rugged off-road durability testing at maximum load capacity, and testing is continuing around the world. But even before the first prototypes hit the road for testing, Ford’s engineers subjected next-gen Ranger to thousands of hours of computer simulations and thousands more of real-world simulations in labs, covering everything from aerodynamics to component and structure durability. 

“Computer simulations have helped us speed up development, while lab testing has helped us refine and test specific components – but there really is no replacement for real-world testing to really see how it stands up to years of customer use,” Willems explained. 

Some of these tests are deemed too rigorous for humans to endure, so computer simulations and robotics are used to replace humans in cases like the extreme ‘squeak and rattle’ rig where the pickup’s suspension and the whole body is exposed to punishing test cycles that are repeated 24/7.

“Our job as engineers is to translate the customer experience insights into a clear product definition brief for the engineering group, which becomes the absolute reference for engineers. This is particularly important for the Ranger, given we are developing it to be sold across the globe,” Willems concluded.